Band of Brothers

Two weeks traveling with forty-five Theravada monks wasn’t at all what I expected it to be. My first exposure to the rules and regulations of Theravada was during a trip to Thailand, where it was drilled into my head not to touch them or even hand them anything. As a woman, in order to give something to a monk you set it down on a surface and they pick it up.

So you can only imagine my trepidation of traveling in a bus full of them! 

Turns out I needn’t have worried. Within days I was like an adopted sister and they wasted no time in messing with me. Especially the Burmese monks; every time I was attempting to get them on a bus, on a plane, into the temple, they would smirk and either not move or move in the opposite direction. 

I also had my preconceived notion that monks just hang out doing monk things all day completely squashed. While some monks do dedicate all of their time to studying the dhamma, more often they have other interests or causes they are engaged in. 

One Burmese monk is a social activist through the poems he writes! His poetry has been so controversial that it had never been published. But with the election of a new government this past November, one of his poems about the farming class and poverty in Burma is being published this spring.

Another monk dedicates his time to ensuring the children in his local community receive an education. He has set up schools in three different locations which teach over 350 kids! He has also found a donor to give free eye exams and surgeries once a year in his remote village.

Forms of exercise purely for the sake of exercise are strictly forbidden - which is crazy given the rate of diabetes among monks - and is actually punishable by the government in Burma. Working around the monastery - no problem; go for a jog, lift weights, play volleyball or football - problem. Thankfully common sense reigns and most of the monks under 40 that I spoke to are avid footballers (soccer, that is) and a few have a weakness for volleyball. Come to think of it, I forgot to ask what they wear when they partake in sport. Can't imagine playing volley in robes!

U Zawana teaching me the Abhidhamma

The best part about all this monk time was the ability to ask burning questions about the dhamma. U Zawana became a personal favorite after one of his dhamma talks where he assured the crowd that the Buddha's teachings are really very simple. Do good things. Don't do bad things. 

Of course doing bad things also refers to thoughts, not just actions. I was sharing with U Zawana that, generally speaking, refraining from harmful actions isn't a problem, but stemming the flow of negative thoughts is a real challenge. "Oh Shantel, you clearly have a mental condition that is beyond the scope of Buddhism. I suggest you seek professional help in the form of a psychiatrist," he quipped completely deadpan as he patted my head. Love you too, U Zawana!